Ventana Wilderness Alliance

From rolling, sunbaked grasslands to fog-shrouded redwood gulches to wave-beaten Pacific headlands, the northern Santa Lucia Mountains could be considered a “Best of” compilation of California. The wide-variety of soil types, combined with elevations ranging from sea level to 5857’ atop Santa Lucia (Junipero Serra) Peak sustain a diverse mix of plant communities which support and equally diverse bestiary of everything from the regal California condor to diminutive Santa Lucia Mountains slender salamander.

Following is a listing of natural history articles pertaining to this unique region of Central California. Many of these articles were originally published in the Double Cone Register (DCR), an occasional, web-based publication focused on the natural and cultural history of the northern Santa Lucia Mountains. A full index of DCR articles can be found here: The Double Cone Register

This is by no means and exhaustive library, so please send new, potential additions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Flora

Alice Eastwood’s "The Coniferae of the Santa Lucia Mountains" Rodgers 2006 (transcribed and introduced) http://ventanawild.org/news/fe04/coniferae.html

An Addendum on the Botanical History of Santa Lucia Fir, Abies bracteata, with Excerpts from the Notes and Letters of Early CollectorsRodgers 1998

Jewel Flower (Streptanthus glandulosus)Rodgers 2006 http://ventanawild.org/news/spring06/jewelflower.html

Mimulus cardinalus (Scarlet Monkey Flower), and where in the California Coast Ranges did David Douglas Find the Closely Related Mimulus Lewisii?  Rodgers 2010 http://www.ventanawild.org/news/fall10/pdf/mimulus_cardinalis.pdf

Plants (along with lichens & bryophytes) of the UC Hastings Reserve University of California, Hastings Reserve http://www.hastingsreserve.org/Plants/Plants.html

Plants of the Highest Santa Lucia and Diablo Range Peaks, California Griffin 1975 http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/29964

Fauna

Amphibians and Reptiles of the UC Hastings Reserve University of California, Hastings Reserve http://www.hastingsreserve.org/Herps/herps.html

Birds of the UC Hastings Reserve, University of California Hastings Reserve http://www.hastingsreserve.org/Birds/Birds.html

Invertebrates of the UC Hastings Reserve University of California, Hastings Reserve http://www.hastingsreserve.org/Invertebrates/Invertebrates.html

Faunal lists and Species notes from the UC Big Creek Reserve University of California, Big Creek Reserve

http://ucreserve.ucsc.edu/bigcreek/fauna/index.html

Mammals of the UC Hastings Reserve University of California, Hastings Reserve http://www.hastingsreserve.org/Mammals/Mammals.html

Santa Lucia Mountains Slender Salamander CaliforniaHerps.com http://www.californiaherps.com/salamanders/pages/b.luciae.html

Geology

Big Sur Geology Field Trip Guide Jessey, Burns, et.al. 2003 http://geology.csupomona.edu/docs/BigSur.pdf

Geology of the Hastings Reserve University of California, Hastings Reserve http://www.hastingsreserve.org/Geology/Geology.html

General

Cone Peak Gradient Research Natural Area Technical Report USDA Forest Service 2004 http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr188/psw_gtr188_002.pdf